The debate over the use of tasers by law enforcement always seems to heat up whenever there has been a taser death. Taser guns are an electric shock weapons that temporarily incapacitates the nerve transmission, disrupting voluntary muscle control. Tasers are used worldwide by many countries; some consider them to be firearms or safe police self-defense weapons, while others may view them as harmful killers. Tasers are the registered trademark of the company Taser International, who is also the original manufacturer, and the word is actually an acronym that stands for Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle. Created in 1974 by Jack Coker and later improved upon with the help of Tom Smith, who together started the company Taser International (Sun-Sentinel). It is a gun that stuns people by shocking the sensory and motor nerves to produce strong involuntary muscle contractions. In the world of stun guns, tasers that can project out are preferred by law enforcement officers. This reason is because they do not rely on the pain alone as these cause involuntary control. Enough to subdue the person all while maintain a safe distance. Although they were originally introduced as safe nonlethal weapons for self-defense, law enforcement has used them to control fleeing or aggressive suspects. Tasers then hit controversy when they were believed to have resulted in some deaths and severe injuries.
One of the most publicized deaths involving a Taser occurred in Canada. A government investigation was held when Robert Dziekanshi, was tasered multiple times at the Vancouver International Airport. This resulted in his death and was brought in front of a judge to decide, case being called the Braidwood Inquiry. It was found that firmer guidelines on the use of tasers and more studies on its effects were needed. It did not however ban the use of Tasers in anyway (Maillie). So the question needs to be asked, should the use of tasers by law enforcement be prohibited or restricted?
Though these guns are meant to temporarily control aggressive or non-compliant people, there have been concerns that their usage can amount to potential harm and torture. Some people’s views about the legality and the use of tasers in various parts of the world tell a different view from each side on this issue. A human rights organization Amnesty International has taken a stand on the use of tasers and says that they amount to "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, which is absolutely prohibited under international law". This coming from many case being brought to them on the issue were tasers are believed to have caused death or severe injury (Hasse). Some other organizations have voiced their concern as well, specifically on constant upgrading on taser weapons. Believing them to cause extreme pain on a person almost as a form of torture, and that in certain cases, it could cause death, as shown by studies that have been done.
Some experiments were conducted by the Cook County Hospital in Chicago to reach a verdict and make a report on the use of tasers. Scientists stunned 11 pigs with the taser guns for about two hours, for two periods of 40 seconds each after every 15 second interval. All animals suffered heart rhythm problems and two died within three minutes of receiving the electricity jolt. Taser International claims that the study findings do not apply to humans, as the pigs weigh lesser. Also, they are supposed to be used with personal control. It is not expected that an officer will stun someone repeatedly for two hours, after every 15 second interval, just to keep him subdued (Davis).
The use of tasers have some many supporters as well, the chairman of Taser International Tom Smith had this to say. In taser's defense, "Pepper spray goes on for hours and hours, hitting someone with a baton breaks limbs, shooting someone with a firearm causes permanent damage, even punching and kicking. The intent of those tools is to inflict pain. With the taser, the intent is not to inflict pain; it is to end the confrontation without inury. When it's over, it's over" (France-Presse). This brings up very good points on it use, law enforcement as well generally finds it to be a better weapon than guns and batons. A counterargument used to the death controversies by the police departments; that their in-custody deaths cannot be classified as taser deaths, as they could have been caused by many other things being used as well and it is hard to point at only one cause directly.
There have been a number of situations where the usefulness of these tasers has helped to stop a greater threat from happening. For example, the Greek Police Special Forces had used these guns to end the A310 Turkish Airline hijacking at Athens International Airport in March 2003. Where the person was attempting to hold hostages and claimed to have bombs on the plane (Maillie). A very thin line has been established between the good and the bad over the use of tasers. If the specific purpose for which they are used is achieved, there are arguments in favor of tasers. However, if something is not done correctly or is overly compensated, the same advantages can turn into drawbacks. Taser guns can immobilize a subject from about 10.6 meters away, with a jolt of electricity going through the body. Law enforcement officers praised them for being able to do so from such a distance, and succeeding in temporarily subduing a subject. These devices are meant for controlling potential threats without killing them, even though their use has been subject to result in possible deaths or severe injury. Giving rise to many controversies and strong point of views on each end of the issue. In reply to so many deaths, law enforcement brings to light that a majority of officers have subjected themselves to taser shocks voluntarily, without coming to any harm. As many places require this in order to carry the device and better understand its effects. Making it a point that the deaths are due to irresponsible usage of the taser guns, and not due to the guns itself.
Capable of passing a 50,000 volts current through the suspects's body, most guns generally pass only about 1500 volts. Though this is not harmful for a normal, healthy human, a person with an artificial pacemaker may suffer serious consequences or even death (Juan). It is believe by some that even the weaker jolts can lead to cardiac arrests, especially if the person suffers from heart problems. It is easy to count the problems when focusing on something, more so when a possible outcome could be death. However, people fail to notice the number of people who have recovered from taser shocks with little to no injury. Many more people have been saved or benefitted from the use of tasers to subdue a subject, this number is far more than the one for those that have died. Use of tasers and stun guns results in fewer injuries to law enforcement compared to other means of restrain suspects. The chance of death from taser shock when used correctly is 1 in 870 says Dr William P Bozeman, professor of medicine at the Wake Forest University; which comes out to less than .01 percent chance of death (Juan).
Amnesty International agrees that most taser deaths may have happened due to their improper usage. Since law officers may feel that they are harmless, this might increase the temptation to use them causing more frequent use and potential for injury (Hasse). Unless usage discretion is properly determined, taser guns can indeed lead to deaths though they are preferred by law enforcement; for their ease of use, better control, and lesser danger to both the officer and the subject. The uses of tasers is not to be a first option and are to be used properly after giving warning that if the person does not calm down, a taser shall be used against him, this is procedure in the field that helps bring a better chance of achieving a safe end result for all involved giving the option of compliance.
There is no easy answer to this debate on the use of tasers by law enforcement, because it all depends on how they are used. Even a good thing can become a flaw on humanity if not used properly and with great care. So should tasers being used by officers be prohibited or restricted in their use? The answer depends on who is holding the device, and who is being aimed at. Differing sides bring about different arguments, even though I am sure no one would want to encounter this situation if that didn’t have to.

Works Cited
France-Presse, Agence. 'UN 'Out Of Touch' On Torture: Taser Boss'. ABC News. N.p., 2007. Web. 20 Jan. 2015.
Davis, Matt. 'The Portland Mercury | Blogtown, PDX | Tasers Kill Pigs In Chicago Study'. Blogtown.portlandmercury.com. N.p., 2015. Web. 21 Jan. 2015.
Hasse, Ronald. Document.Occupations D'amnesty International Au Sujet De L'utilisation Des Tasers : Justice Charge.Amnesty International'. Amnesty.org. N.p., 2015. Web. 22 Jan. 2015.
Juan, Stephen. 'Can Stun Guns And Tasers Cause Death?'. Theregister.co.uk. N.p., 2015. Web. 21 Jan. 2015.
Maillie, Tereasa. 'World History Of Tasers: Invention And Controversy'. Examiner.com. N.p., 2012. Web. 20 Jan. 2015.
Sun-Sentinel, South. 'History Of Taser'. Sun-Sentinel.com. N.p., 2015. Web. 20 Jan. 2015.
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